The First Matchbooks

Joshua Pusey Matchbooks

Vintage matchbooks have been around since 1892. When Joshua Pusey dipped cardboard tips into a solution of sulfur and phosphorus and then stapled them to a piece of cardboard, he patented the idea of paper matches. The Diamond Match Company, DE, promptly purchased Pusey’s patent. He remained Diamond’s attorney for the rest of his life. In 1894, Henry Traute, a company salesman, got his first order for 10 million matchbooks. Ads for Pabst beer sported their covers.

An order for 30 million matchbooks from tobacco maker Bull Durham quickly followed. Despite this early link between matchbooks and advertisers, matchbook companies still expected people to purchase their products. The public balked. In no small part because the first matchbooks were actually quite dangerous—the friction strip was located inside the cover, right next to the rest of the matches. This led to some unintended “hot spots”. To help assuage the public’s fears, Traute had the friction strip moved to the outside of the matchbook. The words “Close Cover Before Striking” were added to the cover, also.

Giving them Away

Widespread acceptance of these matchbooks only came after Traute realized that if his matchbooks were given away for free, they could be used to sell other products. Soon matchbooks were offered to customers of tobacco products, or left in the ashtrays of coffee shops and motels for the convenience of diners and overnight guests.

Matchbook and Ashtray

In most matchbook collections, only the match covers are collected. Phillumenists, as matchbook collectors are known, “shuck” matchbooks by carefully prying open the staple to remove the matches from the inside of the cover. These matches are then discarded and the covers are stored flat. The only exception to this procedure is for novelty or feature matchbooks, which are matchbooks whose sticks have also been printed.

Create your own vintage, collectible matchbook and give it away … with an item that the customer has purchased from your shop!